Massaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

An operating mechanism for a massaging apparatus comprising a driving shaft revolved through a pulley with movement of a belt driven by an electric motor, said driving shaft having a slightly curved front end which is secured through bearing to a pressing plate having formed on its surface a plurality of round projections, wherein rotation of said driving shaft is transmitted to said pressing plate through bearing not in the form of rotation but in the form of swinging motion which changes inclination of said pressing plate such that through variation of said inclination, the round projections on the surface of said pressing plate are rubbingly pressed alternately against a desired part of human body so as to produce excellent massotherapeutical effect.

United States Patent Fujimoto [54] MASSAGING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Shinichiro Fujimoto, 8 Hannancho Naka 6-chome, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan 22 Filed: July 10, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 53,875

1,609,796 l2/l926 Cheney ..l2B/6lX Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-Polachek, Saulsbury & Hough 57 ABSTRACT An operating mechanism for a massaging apparatus compris ing a driving shaft revolved through a pulley with movement of a belt driven by an electric motor, said driving shaft having a [52] U.S. Cl 128/46, 128/33 slightly curved front end which is secured through bearing to a [5 1] Int. Cl. ..A6lh 7/00 pressing plate having formed on its surface a plurality of round [58] Field of Search 128/44-46, 33, projections, wherein rotation of said driving shaft is transl28/25, 61 mitted to said pressing plate through bearing not in the form of rotation but in the form of swinging motion which changes 5 References Cited inclination of said pressing plate such that through variation of said inclination, the round projections on the surface of said UNlTED STATES PATENTS pressing plate are rubbingly pressed alternately against a desired part of human body so as to produce excellent mas- 2,7l4,381 8/1955 Corley et al. ..l28/6l Sotherapeutical effect. 3,207,152 9/1965 Thornton... ...l28/33 2,907,323 10/1959 Ritter ..128/33 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Patented July 25, 1972 3,678,924

INVENTOR SHINICHIRO FUJIMOTO BY f/W7 A H URN FY31 MASSAGING APPARATUS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an operating device for a massaging apparatus.

In general, a massaging apparatus is designed to give certain force to a part of human body in a hitting or rubbing manner so as to stimulate circulation and make muscles or joints supple. The present invention provides an improved mechanism for driving such massaging apparatus, which is characterized in that inclination of a pressing plate having a plurality of round pressing projections on its surface is altered so that said projections are alternately pressed against a part of human body to give stimulation thereto to thereby obtain excellent massaging effect.

The conventional massaging apparatuses utilize rotation of an eccentric wheel to let a driving arm or arms make arcuate motion, allowing the hitting elements secured to the top end of said driving arm to hit a part of human body to give moderate stimulation thereto to thereby obtain desired massaging effect.

Unlike the conventional devices, the present invention is characterized by provision of a novel mechanism for producing incessant variation of inclination of a pressing plate formed with a plurality of projections on its surface, whereby said projections are alternately pressed against a part of human body to produce excellent massaging effect. Thus, the present invention is simple in construction and gives desired effect at extremely high efficiency.

Now, the present invention will be discussed in detail by way of its preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

F IG. 1 is a side elevation of a massaging apparatus adapting the present invention, with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the essential parts of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating motion of the pressing plate; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring generally to the drawings, there is provided a driving shaft, designated by reference number 14, which is mounted horizontally at an upper part of a machine frame 11 and is rotatably supported by bearings l2, 13. As will be noticed, the front end of said driving shaft 14 is projected forwardly beyond the front bearing 13 and is curved at an easy angle.

Designated by reference number 16 is a circular plate to which is secured an elastic pressing plate made of synthetic resin, said pressing plate 17 having formed formed on its upper surface a plurality of round projections 18. At the back side of said circular plate 16 is secured a bearing provided with balls on its inner peripheral face and adapted to receive the end 15 of said driving shaft. Reference number 20 denotes a pulley mounted on the driving shaft 14 so as to transmit rotation of a prime mover 22 through a belt 21.

Also in the drawings, reference numeral 23 designates an electric motor, 24 a seat portion upon which a massagee sits, and 26 a pillow on which the massagees head is rested.

The present invention having the above-described construction will now be described from its operational aspect.

Rotation of prime mover 22 is transmitted through belt 21 and pulley 20 to driving shaft 14 to rotate it. Since the front end of said driving shaft 14 is curved at a gentle angle, rotation of the shaft produces swinging motion of said curved end. It is to be noted here that the circular plate 16 is not rotated since it is securely held by a bearing, but simply changes its direction of inclination in a successive manner.

Said circular plate 16 has fitted thereto a pressing plate formed with a plurality of round projections on its surface, so that when contacted with a part of human body, said pressing plate is not rotated with rotation of the driving shaft but simply changes its direction of inclination continuously, thus allowing the projections on the surface of said pressing plate to be alternate y and successively pressed against a part of human body. Thus, the round projections adapted to press a part of human body successively change their pressing positions in accordance with variation of the direction of inclination of the pressing plate, and such projections give not hitting but fingerpressing-like massotherapeutical effect to the part of human body where such massaging is effected.

The present invention is extremely simple in construction so that it has little possibility of failure or trouble, can stand long time use and is manufactured at low cost.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the massaging apparatus according to the present invention for use for a lying person, and 25 is a bed.

lt is also possible with the present invention to obtain varied degrees of massaging efiect by suitably adjusting the curvature of the driving shaft.

It may be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown and described above, but all of other embodiments which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the disclosed techniques are also embraced within the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A back-massaging seat-device comprising a structure shaped to provide a seatfor human-being sitting and to provide a seatback support for a massaging apparatus, said seatstructure having a back edge, and an upright-back massaging apparatus comprising a driving shaft mounted horizontally at an upper part of the seatback support, said driving shaft having its front end projected forwardly beyond a front-side bearing and curved at a gentle angle, and a circular plate fitted with said curved end of the driving shaft, said circular plate being secured to an elastic synthetic resin-made pressing plate formed with a plurality of round projections on its surface, said circular plate also having secured at its back side a cylindrical bearing means provided with balls on its inner peripheral face and adapted to receive therein the front end of said driving shaft, wherein said driving shaft is rotated by a prime mover through a belt and a pulley mounted on said shaft, said circular plate being mounted on an end of said curved shaft such that a perpendicular to the plate extends outwardly about horizontally above said back edge of said seat-structure. 

1. A back-massaging seat-device comprising a structure shaped to provide a seat for human-being sitting and to provide a seatback support for a massaging apparatus, said seat-structure having a back edge, and an upright-back massaging apparatus comprising a driving shaft mounted horizontally at an upper part of the seatback support, said driving shaft having its front end projected forwardly beyond a front-side bearing and curved at a gentle angle, and a circular plate fitted with said curved end of the driving shaft, said circular plate being secured to an elastic synthetic resin-made pressing plate formed with a plurality of round projections on its surface, said circular plate also having secured at its back side a cylindrical bearing means provided with balls on its inner peripheral face and adapted to receive therein the front end of said driving shaft, wherein said driving shaft is rotated by a prime mover through a belt and a pulley mounted on said shaft, said circular plate being mounted on an end of said curved shaft such that a perpendicular to the plate extends outwardly about horizontally above said back edge of said seat-structure. 